The 2023 Premier’s Awards were held last night, recognising the exceptional work being done by public servants to make a meaningful difference in the lives of community members in every corner of NSW.
The eight award categories span the broad remit of the public sector including high-quality education and healthcare, the economy, and excellence in service delivery.
With over 265 nominations received, there was a strong field of high-performing finalists across all award categories.
The Public Servant of the Year Award celebrates an exceptional individual who demonstrates commitment to a world class public service.
The 2023 NSW Public Servant of the Year was awarded to Brad Fisher of NSW Public Works. Brad was recognised for his tireless commitment to delivering electrical upgrades to public schools across the state.
Each year, the Anthea Kerr Award is presented to a future public sector leader who exhibits outstanding achievement and a deep commitment to public sector values in their work. This award is given in honour of Anthea Kerr, who passed away suddenly at 38 years of age. At the time of Anthea’s death, she was an Assistant Director General at the Department of Finance and Services, a role which was the culmination of an outstanding career of more than 16 years in the NSW public sector.
The winner of the 2023 Anthea Kerr Award is Alexandra Rumore from Legal Aid NSW. Alexandra was recognised for her work supporting flood devastated communities across NSW. Working as a Senior Outreach Solicitor with the Disaster Response Legal Service, Alex travelled thousands of kilometres over several months to deliver trauma-informed help, ensuring communities had their legal needs met.
2023 Premier’s Award winners:
| Category | Winner(s) | Agency |
|---|---|---|
| Anthea Kerr Award | Alexandra Rumore | Legal Aid NSW |
| NSW Public Servant of the Year | Brad Fisher | NSW Public Works |
| Building a resilient economy | Innovation project – podular construction | Department of Planning and Environment |
| Connecting communities | Assertive outreach program – Tweed Heads | Department of Communities and Justice |
| Driving public sector diversity | Quiet Hour | Department of Customer Service NSW |
| Excellence in service delivery | Digitising of vehicle inspections (RSafety App) | Transport for NSW |
| Highest quality healthcare | Testing donors for emerging infectious diseases | NSW Health Pathology |
| The Murrumbidgee Model | Murrumbidgee Local Health District | |
| World class education and training | Going the extra mile for civil construction training | TAFE NSW |
| Assessment for complex learners project | Department of Education |
Details on all the winners and finalists can be found at Premiers Awards 2023.
Premier Chris Minns said:
“These awards celebrate people who set the standard for our public sector.
“Congratulations to all our winners and finalists for your commitment and contributing to a better future for our state.
“I’m proud to lead our public service and am already looking forward to what we will achieve together for the people of NSW over the coming year.”
NSW Public Service Commissioner Kathrina Lo said:
“Brad Fisher’s dedication to delivering the Cooler Classrooms Program, ability under pressure and willingness to go above and beyond, enabled the program to reach more schools than originally forecast.
“Congratulations Brad and all the other deserving winners from this special evening.”
